


Magic is the Best Medicine

by NewUserNamesAreHard



Series: Written for Poirot Cafe [4]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: Chikage thinks they're both adorable, Kaito has the flu, Touichi knows bribery is part of parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-12
Updated: 2017-09-12
Packaged: 2018-12-26 19:23:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12065424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NewUserNamesAreHard/pseuds/NewUserNamesAreHard
Summary: Kaito is terrible at being sick. But that’s okay, because Toichi knows exactly how to handle him.(Because I think 8 year old Kaito is adorable.)





	Magic is the Best Medicine

**Author's Note:**

> Written as part of Poirot Cafe Prompt Exchange #11. Enjoy.

Toichi’s poker face held steady as the large box on the left side of the stage sneezed. Rather, the 8 year old hiding inside the box sneezed. Internally, Toichi laughed. It wasn’t the first time Kaito had tried to get himself added to the act. Though, doing so while he was too sick to go to school… Either the boy was pretending to be sicker than he actually was, or he was as stubborn as his mother.  
  
On second thought, it was also possible that Kaito just loved magic that much. After all, Toichi’s son practically lived and breathed magic, much to the chagrin of his teachers and classmates. The boy was probably a better magician at age 8 than Toichi had been at age 20. Not that he would ever admit it.  
  
“And now ladies and gentlemen, a finale worthy of the term.” Toichi’s arms spread out in front of him as he walked to center stage. The show was going to be short one large box trick, but that couldn’t really be helped.  
  
A grin spread across Toichi’s face as he looked out over the audience. He understood why Kaito always tried to worm his way on stage. This was what they lived for. The attention. The applause. And knowing that the mystified smiles on the audience’s faces belonged to them.  
  
“For my final trick I will turn back the very hands of time.”  
  
The box made a confused noise followed by a sniffle. Kaito had clearly caught on that Toichi wasn’t going to use the same trick he had been practicing.  
  
“Now count down with me ladies and gentlemen. 10, 9, 8,” Toichi faked a sneeze. “Sorry about that. Let’s try again. 10, 9, 8,” He sneezed again, this time triggering 3 brightly colored smoke bombs.  
  
A flurry of hands and cloth had Toichi in his underwear and Kaito dressed in an oversized tuxedo in a matter of seconds. The boy looked gobsmacked as the smoke cleared and he found himself center stage, his father hovering out of sight.  
  
It took a fair amount of effort on Toichi’s part not to just burst out laughing as Kaito lifted his left arm to inspect the suit he was now wearing. The boy made a humming noise before a cough forced its way out of his throat.  
  
One cough became two, then two became three, but Kaito recovered magnificently as a subtle frown appeared on his face. “Why do I get sick every time I do this trick?” He asked as he looked out across the audience. Then he shrugged and attempted to take a sweeping bow, instead tripping over his pants and flopping comically to the floor.  
  
The curtain closed as Kaito struggled to right himself. “Good job.” Toichi complemented a moment before another coughing fit struck.  
  
Kaito looked miserable as his poker face fell to reveal the sick little boy beneath. He looked tired from the unruly tips of his hair all the way down to his toes. But he still wore a tiny smile. “Can we do it again?” He asked as Toichi scooped him up to carry him back to the dressing room.  
  
Toichi pressed his forehead against Kaito’s to gauge the boys temperature. “Not until your fever breaks.” He answered. The boy obviously hadn’t been faking his illness. He was shivering in Toichi’s arms.  
  
“But what if it doesn’t break before the next performance?” Kaito asked through chattering teeth.  
  
A change of tactics was clearly in order. Toichi didn’t know why he had thought Kaito would willingly go lay down when there was another performance scheduled in 45 minutes. It wasn’t like the boy had stowed away in the trunk of Toichi’s car with the props instead of staying home with his mother like he was supposed to… “Did you tell your mother you were coming with me?”  
  
Kaito shook his head as he attempted to bury his face in Toichi’s shoulder. Chikage was either going to be furious or find it so funny she would have a hard time breathing as laughter bubbled from her throat. The Phantom Lady wasn’t the most predictable of women.  
  
“I guess we should call her then.” Toichi said more to himself than the boy in his arms.  
  
Kaito nodded in agreement all the same. “Do you think she’ll be mad?” The boy asked, looking up at Toichi with the deep indigo eyes he had inherited from his mother.  
  
Toichi chuckled. If Kaito looked at his mother with that same expression, she was sure to forgive him instantly. But it might do the boy some good to have to worry about it. “I’d bet she won’t make another chocolate cake for a whole month.”  
  
Kaito’s eyes widened in horror. “What if I apologize?” He questioned as Toichi pushed open the door to his dressing room.  
  
“Humm…”  
  
Getting flustered, Kaito tried again. “And we can show her our new magic trick. Magic always makes Mom smile.” His voice was starting to take on the gravely tones of the truly sick.  
  
“Maybe… I’ll ask.” Toichi told the boy as he sat him down in front of the dressing room’s small vanity. Then the magician picked up the dressing room phone and dialed home. Or at least pretended to dial home.  
  
“Chikage.”He spoke into the phone. Then he flinched away from the receiver as if someone had been yelling into it. “Yes. He is with me.”  
  
 _“…”_  
  
“No. He hid in the trunk. I didn’t know he was here until midway through my show.”  
  
The look on Toichi’s face as he glanced at Kaito was less than reassuring. He was pretending to be listening to the long winded rant of an angry Chikage after all.  
  
“I’m sure he is sorry.”  
  
 _“…”_  
  
“No. No. He really is sick. He’s trying to pretend otherwise, but he has a pretty high fever.”  
  
Toichi shook his head as he made eye contact with Kaito.  
  
“No chocolate cake for a year?! I told him it would only be a month.”  
  
An apologetic expression adorned Toichi’s face. ‘Three months.’ He mouthed at his son, Kaito’s eyes taking on a moist gleam as he fought back tears.  
  
“Even if he promises to stay put and get some rest until you come and get him?”  
  
 _“…”_  
  
“Okay. I’ll tell him.” Toichi said as he dropped the phone back into its cradle. “Only a week if you go to sleep right now, Kaito.”  
  
The boy all but fell out of the chair as he scrambled to the ground, his head swiveling as he tried to find suitable pillow and blanket substitutes. Four minutes later he was curled up on the small couch against the far wall. His head was propped up on a bag of multicolor confetti and one of Toichi’s capes was draped over his small form. His eyes were screwed closed and he was doing his very best to mimic the steady breathing of sleep.  
  
Toichi chuckled. It was an excellent act. But it was still an act. “May I have my suit back, Kaito?”  
  
A blush spread across the boy’s cheeks as he pretended not to hear.  
  
Toichi cleared his throat and Kaito opened one of his eyes just the tiniest bit. “Now please.”  
  
Kaito was pouting as he sat up. “You won’t wake me up in time for your next show.” The boy accused with a sniffle.  
  
Toichi ruffled his hair. “You can watch my next show or you can go 3 months without chocolate cake.”  
  
Kaito looked truly torn. On one hand,  _magic_ , on the other,  _chocolate_. It was sure to be a tough decision for an 8 year old. He opened his mouth to answer, only to have a cough interrupt him.  
  
“You need the rest.” Toichi told they boy. “Otherwise you’ll be too sick to help in tomorrow’s show too.”  
  
Kaito lit up like a Christmas tree, his smile so wide it looked painful. “I’ll be better by then.” He promised as he stripped out of Toichi’s suit and burrowed back under his improvised blanket.  
  
Five minutes later, having given up on fighting his body, the boy was out cold. Smiling, Toichi picked up the phone once again. This time he actually dialed.  
 _  
“Moshi moshi.”_  
  
“Chikage.”  
  
 _“Oh. Toichi. Did Kaito finally wear himself out?”_  
  
A quiet chuckle fell from Toichi’s lips, mingling with Chikage’s giggle a moment later. “You knew?”  
 _  
“I saw him climb into the back of the car.”_  
  
“And you didn’t say anything?”  
  
 _“He’s our son, Toichi. Once he makes up his mind, there is no stopping him.”_  
  
“He  _stole_  the show.”  
  
 _“And you agreed to let him help in another one didn’t you?”_  
  
“Yes, I did.”  
  
 _“How long until he is allowed to have cake again?”_  
  
Sometimes Toichi swore his wife could read his mind… Or was leaving listening devices in his costumes.


End file.
